


Curry in Cookies?

by Molly_Jae



Series: 2020 Malec Discord Server Advent Calendar [8]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types
Genre: Bisexual Isabelle Lightwood, Bisexual Lydia Branwell, Discord: Malec Server, F/F, Isabelle Lightwood Can't Cook, Malec Discord Advent Calendar 2020, Malec Discord Server
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:55:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28262001
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Molly_Jae/pseuds/Molly_Jae
Summary: In which the way to a person's heart is through their stomach...supposedly.
Relationships: Lydia Branwell/Isabelle Lightwood
Series: 2020 Malec Discord Server Advent Calendar [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2036668
Comments: 1
Kudos: 3





	Curry in Cookies?

**Author's Note:**

> For the Malec Discord Server's 2020 Advent Calendar Prompts.
> 
> Day 10: Cookies

It was no surprise to the Clave when Alec had named Isabelle his successor as Head of the New York Institute once he’d been nominated for Inquisitor. That his sister had accepted was also not too much of a surprise. And after all that they had contributed to saving the world in the past year, none were willing to contradict the currently most influential family among the Shadowhunters.

That said, future heads needed to be evaluated still, which was precisely why Lydia was stationed in the New York Institute for a month. Nothing more.

Her assignment had nothing to do with her having volunteered for it, nor her friendship with the Lightwood-Banes, nor her continued correspondence with the future Head following the non-wedding. Of course not. It was simply that she had finished her work in Alicante and an envoy needed to be sent to New York to ensure that Isabelle would be a competent replacement to the Clave’s legacy. Privately, Lydia thought that it was truly only Alec’s legacy Isabelle would care to maintain.

They were friends now, she assured herself as she settled into the small seating area in the Head’s apartment. A friendship born from tentative and apologetic emails that shifted to texts and bloomed into calls and near-mindless updates. She hadn’t warned Isabelle of her return as her evaluator, and hadn’t share much of their close friendship with anyone else either, lest they think her partial to the Lightwood. They wouldn’t exactly be wrong, but Lydia did have her pride, and she wasn’t about to let anyone write anything but the truth of what was happening at the Institute. For all the strides that were being made, there were still those so hung up on the puritan and elitist values the older generations preferred to uphold.

“I can’t believe you’ll be here for a month!” The brunette grinned and placed a plate on the coffee table before walking back to her kitchenette, where a pot of coffee lay.

“I’ve lost track of how many times you’ve said that.”

Isabelle rolled her eyes, settling in beside her and leaning over to pour each of them a cup. Before she could even reach over to add cream and sugar, Isabelle did it for her. A sugar cube and enough milk to turn the drink closer to sand than chocolate. The gesture, small as it was, made warmth spread in her stomach.

“Thank you,” she said as she accepted the cup as it were slid over to her.

“I’m a little excited, okay? The last time you were here, we weren’t exactly friends.” Isabelle shrugged.

And though a part of her was disappointed, Lydia was also happy with their current relationship. Just because she was attracted to Isabelle didn’t mean she wouldn’t be happy with just being her friend.

“Anyways, I made cookies this morning! I’ve been meaning to try out a new recipe, and I usually have Jace and Alec around to test them out, but since you’re here and you’ve been griping about wanting to taste my cooking whenever we call each other…”

Lydia had heard that the best way to a person’s heart was through their stomach, but looking at the abomination _cookies_ in front of her, she wondered if the fool that said it had ever considered Isabelle Lightwood. Privately, Lydia cursed her ex fiancé for tricking her into thinking that his sister can cook. As much as she loved the woman, she didn’t exactly have the kind of garbage stomach Jace and Alec had that was able to withstand everything their sister threw at them. It hadn’t been until she was having dinner with Magnus that she’d caught on to Alec’s little game.

“Go on,” Isabelle urged, smile wide and eyes bright. “I promise I put sugar and not salt this time. And it isn’t even burnt!”

Really, Lydia would love to believe that Isabelle had indeed followed a recipe…or sense, in general. But the fact that the chocolate chip cookies in front of her were soggy, red, and smelled vaguely of curry did not boost her confidence, at all.

In the dark recesses of her mind, Lydia prayed for an emergency that would prevent her from having to taste it. Really, wasn’t Alec done training with Magnus and Jace yet? Where was Clary? How did Lydia become the soul taste tester for Isabelle’s new experiment?

Raziel, if she wasn’t already half in love with Isabelle, she wouldn’t even have second thoughts about turning down the poor excuse for food that Magnus’ stray cats would probably ignore in favor of dirt.

Summoning all her angel-granted courage, she picked up the mushy treat and shoved an entire piece into her mouth. Almost immediately, her gag reflex was acting up, the odd mix of soft, spicy, and spice-heavy mixing with the chocolate chunks and— _were those gummy bears?_

Lydia didn’t know how, but she managed to swallow down the treat. Her cheeks felt warm and a few tears had fallen from her eyes. She drank some coffee to wash it down, but considering the drink was still on the side of too hot and she had to call on all her training not to just spit everything out.

“Oh, it can’t be that bad!” Isabelle scoffed, pinching off a bit from the plate to taste. As Lydia set her cup down and used the back of her fingers to wipe at her tears. When she saw Isabelle barely bat an eye, she was stuck somewhere between awe and disgust.

“You know,” Lydia began with a small laugh. “I wasn’t going to marry your brother for his cooking, and I don’t want to date you for yours, but I want to kiss you and I want to throw up in equal measure right now.”

“You’ve never had my brother’s cooking.”

“That’s what you take away from all that?”

“Well we can’t really date yet, can we?”“You still have to hand in a report on how wonderful I’d be as Head of the Institute.”

“W-what?”

“You can’t exactly be dating your evaluator,” Isabelle shrugged. “They might turn in a biased report.”

**Author's Note:**

> Lol these two badass women just absolutely deserve everything.
> 
> If you ever want to join a server and enjoy all things Malec/Shadowhunters, then feel free to join The [Malec Discord Server](discord.gg/GY8jT4x)!
> 
> 💚


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